Killings of Black Men by Whites are Far More Likely to be Ruled “Justifiable” by Daniel Lathrop and Anna Flagg

Our story, “Killings of Black Men by Whites are Far More Likely to be Ruled ‘Justifiable,’” tackles the complex issue of killings that do not result in any form of prosecution. “Justifiable homicides” is a legal term that refers to killings determined to have taken place in self-defense, or to prevent a crime from taking place. These homicides are considered legal, and the offender faces no punishment or criminal sanction.

Our story was a deep dive into more than four decades of FBI homicides data to explore how often and in what circumstances killings are considered justified. We told this data-driven story visually to clearly show readers the role that deeply embedded racial bias plays in whether a killing is determined to be justifiable.